An antique English Regency grey Bardiglio marble fireplace with Carrara marble centre tablet
The pilasters and frieze carved with raised anthemion and reeded detail. The centre tablet carved in Statuary Carrara marble depicts a standing lion.
Circa 1820
The anthemion is an ancient decorative motif featuring a fan-shaped cluster of radiating floral or leaf elements, typically resembling a stylized honeysuckle blossom or a palm leaf. Rooted in the Greek word for flower, it has been a foundational element in art and architecture since antiquity.
An Irish antique, George III period Statuary, Sienna and Portoro marble chimneypiece
The inverted breakfront shelf carved with egg and dart mouldings, is above a frieze of Nero Portoro marble, centred by a well carved tablet. The tablet depicts Mercury (the god of eloquence and wit) acting as a tutor to Cupid. Mercury is seated, watching patiently as his son struggles with an elementary reading task, before Venus seated in her chariot.
The egg and dart moulded aperture surround, is flanked by pilaster jambs with projecting free standing Sienna marble columns, capped by highly carved ionic capitals.
Irish, circa 1765
The tablet showing Venus, Mercury and Cupid is a classical subject best known from Correggio’s 16th century painting known as ‘The School of Love’.
A similar chimneypiece is recorded at Abbey Leix, Co. Laois, (see Jeremy Musson, ‘Abbey Leix, Co. Laois’, Country Life, July 24, 2003, p. 53). Further related chimneypieces sold Bonhams, London, 20 November 2103, lot 74 and Sotheby’s London 22 November 2006, lot 208. The chimneypieces follow the pattern of those originally supplied to William Crosby, 2nd Lord Brandon, later Earl of Glandore for his house on St.Stephens Green in Dublin, circa 1765. The Crosby chimneypieces are illustrated in Country Life, 4th August 1950, p.395. The Crosby chimneypiece closest to the one offered here was later purchased by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II while Duchess of Edinburgh around 1948 when Clarence House was being redecorated. The Crosby chimneypiece is now situated in the Lancaster Room at Clarence House, London and is illustrated in J.Cornforth, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother at Clarence House, London 1996, p.75, fig.73.
An antique mid 19th century mahogany occasional table with a wonderful specimen marble top
The inset rectangular top has sections of semi-precious marbles including Egyptian porphyry, Convent Sienna, Swedish Porphyry, Breccia Violetta, Grand Antique, Verdi Antico and many more.
An antique French Régence style, Breccia Violetta marble mantelpiece off fantastic quality and large scale
The frieze with a finely carved cartouche at centre, the pilasters with raised and fielded panels.
Circa 1860
Removed from a centre of Paris property in 1991, been in storage since then.
Extremely rare to find fireplaces made in this material and to this large size.
The French Regency style is a transitional, ornate, and intimate design aesthetic, bridging the heavy Baroque Louis XIV style and the lighter, asymmetrical Rococo (Louis XV) style.
A rare antique and extremely well made, Paktong and iron, free standing fire basket
With roman style lion monopedia leg supports, decorative floral frieze and baluster bars.
Paktong is a unique Chinese alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc. Prized for its silver-like appearance and extreme resistance to tarnishing, Paktong was a highly fashionable material for high-end Georgian metalwork, favoured by the 18th century British architect Robert Adam.
Paktong (meaning “white copper” in Cantonese) is harder than silver and does not require frequent polishing to maintain its lustre.
An antique Regency period Statuary Carrara and Convent Sienna marble fireplace surround
The statuary pilasters are carved with a fine ribbon moulding, then inlaid with panels of coloured Sienna marble. The very well carved frieze features swags of summer flowers from woven baskets, olive-leaf wreath end-blocks, and a centre tablet depicting a classical reclining nymph, within a lush and flower-filled setting.
This superbly carved, white statuary marble fireplace with Sienna marble inlays, was produced in Rome, Italy, in the English Regency taste for the British market. Roman sculpture, including fireplaces, were frequently purchased or made to order on the Grand Tour and brought to the British isles.
A large cast-iron and bronze, Gothic Revival fire basket in the manner of A W N Pugin
The trefoil backplate with rope twist edge and decorative leaf work. The chamfered front bars with gothic quatrefoil at centre, these flanked by andirons off upright seated lions, on spiral podiums and holding a bronze shield.
An antique English Regency period, sarcophagus iron and brass fireplace grate
Egyptian revival in style, with a sarcophagus shaped cast-iron body mounted on brass paw feet. The sides adored with brass Egyptian lion-heads and ring pulls, the front consoles with acanthus decoration, and pyramid finials on top.
An antique French Louis XVI mantlepiece made from Royal Sarrancolin Fantastico marble
With acanthus and scrolled console jambs under carved floral end-blocks, the fluted frieze with stylised sunflower at centre, this under a stepped break-fronted shelf.
Circa 1880
Sarrancolin marble was used in the interiors of Paris Opera, the Palace of Versailles and various important historical castles in Europe.
An antique cast-iron console table with veined Carrara marble top, made during the 1850’s
Made by the renowned English Coalbrookdale Iron Foundry.
The grey veined, serpentine, white marble top with moulded edge, the frame profusely cast with scrolling foliage, scallop shells and bell-flowers, on cabriole legs with pointed scrolled feet.
This design, number 96549, was registered and patented by the Coalbrookdale Foundry at the Public record office on 4th August 1854.
An Irish antique Regency period, pure white Statuary marble fireplace surround
The long elegant acanthus carved corbel with reeded pilasters below, support a moulded mantelpiece shelf. The exquisitely carved centre tablet depicts a woven basket, filled with summer flowers and berries.
An antique French Régence style, Paonazzo marble mantelpiece off fantastic quality and large scale
The frieze with a finely carved scallop shell and laurel cartouche at centre, the pilaster jambs with laurel leaf and bellflower decoration.
Circa 1860
Removed from a centre of Paris property in 1991, been in storage since then.
Extremely rare to find fireplaces made in this material and to this large size.
The French Regency style is a transitional, ornate, and intimate design aesthetic, bridging the heavy Baroque Louis XIV style and the lighter, asymmetrical Rococo (Louis XV) style.
An antique French fireplace in the Louis XVI style, made from desirable ‘Fleur de Peche’ marble
The frieze is slightly bowed and decorated with finger flutes. The scrolled and fluted console jambs, are canted and under carved floral end-blocks.
The mantel shelf is curved, and follows the line of the frieze.
Circa 1860
Fleur de Peche marble is a historic marble known for its beautiful shades of violet and deep veining, primarily quarried in the Serravezza region of Carrara, Italy. The original quarry, opened during the 17th century, today, this marble is rarely extracted and is thus becoming more and more rare.
A Brèche de Vendôme marble bolection fireplace off large scale
The substantial 12″ (300mm) wide bolection moulded frame with hand-carved mason mitred corners, rests on plain square plinths.
Carved from a block of beautifully figured and extremely rare French Brèche de Vendôme marble.
Brèche de Vendôme
This rare breccia is characterised by an extraordinary blend of harlequin colours including dark red, purple, black, dark green and golden yellow. Quarried in France during the 18th and 19th century’s, and used to decorate many of the finest, most famous buildings and churches in Paris.
Its extremely difficult to find a large block of this marble to produce a fireplace of this size, we were only able to produce one single fireplace from the block we sourced.
An Irish antique dove grey marble chimneypiece from the Regency period
With full rounded free standing Doric columns under carved end-blocks. The centre tablet carved with a single stylised flower head, this flanked by cushion moulded panels. A deep and moulded edge shelf with angled corners rests on top.
A large antique English Regency fireplace with inlaid marble columns and finely carved tablets
The jambs with engaged Ionic Statuary columns, inlaid with flutes of Bardiglio marble, under well carved classical portraits.
The splayed interior mouldings, are typical of the late Regency period.
The centre tablet depicts Britannia, with a lion (representing bravery, power and sovereignty) and an olive branch, symbolising peace. The cornucopia (horn of plenty), at the corner of the tablet represents abundance and prosperity.
A fine antique neo-classical Adam style, free standing fire basket
Manufactured in bright steel and cast-iron, with fine applied beading, lozenge paterae and bellflower apron, lidded urn shaped finials set above tapering Doric column legs.
